The Wisconsin Film Festival, a program of the Arts Institute of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, presents a four-day annual festival featuring the best new works in independent film, world cinema and new media. The Festival strives to cultivate discovery through panels and discussions with filmmakers and to showcase the work of Wisconsin filmmakers through juried competitions.

Description:
The Festival is a program of the UW Arts Institute, a nonprofit educational University unit. Governed by arts faculty and staff, the Arts Institute represents the collective voice and strength of the arts at the University, and works to make the campus arts more visible and effective. The Arts Institute funds and supports projects with university- and community-wide impact, including artist residencies, awards and fellowships, public programs, and arts marketing and outreach. The Festival is made possible through the financial, technical, and artistic contributions of many Festival sponsors and partners.

The Festival aims to present high-quality, respectful screenings to our wonderful audience, and to:

• celebrate the cinematic arts with motion pictures that demonstrate artistic accomplishment and technical achievement;
• share the experiences and stories of other cultures around the world with substantial international programming;
• represent diverse voices, uncommon perspectives, and innovative ideas;
• highlight the work of local filmmakers and emerging talents;
• introduce audiences to films that would not otherwise be shown in the region, emphasizing that film is more than celebrity culture and box office numbers.



History:


• The first Festival in 1999 was organized by University of Wisconsin-Madison students James Kreul and Wendi Weger. Funded by the Arts Institute with support from the Wisconsin Film Office, the Festival featured free screenings of some 30 films in two small campus venues. Estimated attendance was 3,000.
  
  
• In 2000, the second annual Festival added a professional director (Mary Carbine), expanded into downtown venues such as the Orpheum Theatre and Madison Art Center, and offered a mix of free and paid admission programming featuring 70 films and 40 visiting filmmakers. The Festival more than tripled its attendance and earned substantial funding from corporate sponsors and granting agencies.
  
  
• The 2001 Festival marked the third year of considerable expansion and, for the first time, a significant international lineup. It added another downtown venue (the Majestic Theatre) and featured 110 films from 21 countries and some 60 local and visiting filmmakers and speakers. The 2001 Festival again increased attendance to more than 14,000 and doubled the number of corporate and community sponsors.
  
  
• The Wisconsin Film Festival continued to grow in 2002, adding yet another venue (the Bartell Theatre) and increasing programming by 30 films to 140 total, and attendance by 30% to 18,500. The Festival was one of only fourteen nationwide to receive a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The international lineup included films from 20 countries, numerous Wisconsin and Midwest premieres, and a showcase of films by regional makers.
  
  
• In 2003, the Festival screened more than 150 films from 25 countries, including 50 films by filmmakers with Wisconsin ties, with record-breaking attendance of 21,000. Festival highlights included special appearances by Roger Ebert, who presented A Hard Day’s Night and a Q & A session with filmmaker Justin Lin after the Wisconsin premiere of Better Luck Tomorrow (MTV Films/Paramount). Festival Director Mary Carbine received a 2003 “Best of Madison: Editors’ Choice Award” from Madison Magazine and was named as one of the Midwest film community’s 2002 “People of the Year” by the Chicago-based Screen Magazine.
  
  
• In 2004, the Festival screened more than 140 films from 26 countries, including 45 films by filmmakers with Wisconsin ties, with record-breaking ticket sales of 24,000. The Festival also partnered with the New York-based Global Film Initiative and UW College of Letters & Science to present the “Global Lens” series of international film and a “World Cinema Day” educational outreach program for more than 400 high school students.
  
  
• The Wisconsin Film Festival marked a number of “firsts” in 2005. The Festival expanded into new venues such as the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center and the Overture Center for the Arts. With the support of Steep & Brew, audience members voted for the first-ever Audience Awards for Narrative and Documentary Features. Overall, the 2005 Festival presented 151 films from 27 countries—from Argentina to Armenia, Bhutan, France, Mali, Mexico, Norway, Israel, South Korea, Turkey and Senegal—plus talks, panels, coffeehouse discussions, multimedia performances and installations. More than 80 filmmakers, speakers and industry professionals and 50 student and youth filmmakers participated.
  
  
• In the fall of 2005, long-time director Mary Carbine resigned to pursue other opportunities in Madison. The UW Arts Institute appointed Meg Hamel, former Festival volunteer, to be the Interim Director for 2006. In September 2006, Hamel was named permanent Festival Director. Hamel was honored for service to the arts with a Madison Magazine Editor’s Choice Award, part of the annual “Best of Madison” picks.



Contact people:


Jess Main, Volunteer Coordinator, (email) Meg Hamel, Program Director, (877) 963-3456, (email)


Office fax number: (608) 262-6589

Address:


6038 Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave. Madison, WI 53706 (See a map)


Web Site: http://www.wifilmfest.org

Directions:

Vilas Hall is on the corner of Park and University. Program Office: Enter Vilas Hall and take the elevator up to the 6th floor to room 6038. For directions to the festival theaters, please visit: http://www.wifilmfest.org/theaters.php   Nearest Bus Stop: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,12,14,15,19,27,28,29,37,38,47,53,56,57,58,59,60,61,65,80,82, 2 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

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